War with Russia, War with China, War with Everyone!
Demented Leader of a Rotting State
Trump, providing continuing tutelage in the ancient arts of statecraft to his protege Pete Hegseth, that ever likeable and easy-going Signal of a fellow, and carefully constructing his words in his always subtle, nuanced and yet authoritative manner, employing the globally revered vehicle of respectable private diplomacy, Truth Social, declares (SARCASM ALERT!):
All purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW! Any Country or person who buys ANY AMOUNT of OIL or PETROCHEMICALS from Iran will be subject to, immediately, SECONDARY SANCTIONS. They will not be allowed to business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form. Thank you for your attention to this matter, PRESIDENT DONALD J.Trump.
Thus, the pathetic continuing decline of America to pre-adolescent fantasies or something worse - dementia. Every country of the world understands that there is no intelligent dealing with mad men or with the institutions of a deranged political system, and they know where to find them.
Having screwed the chances of a deal with Russia over Ukraine by putting to Russia a deal that it was clear in advance that Russia could not accept, and then compounding this error by hugely inflating the expectations of a man who is both mad and fanatic, Zelenskiy, that by selling off Ukrainian wealth to US corporations, Ukraine could somehow suck up into the ether yet more US time and treasure, Trump now brings a wrecking ball to the prospects of peace over Iran which, even more than Ukraine, has always been targeted in the most pointless conflict of all time.
By the way, it seems that the so-called Natural Resources deal is, after all, indefinite, but for the first ten years the proceeds go to Ukraine. Nice one, Zel! Here’s another few billion for you.
On Iran Larry Johnson on Sonar 21 comments that
“Trump is going after three countries... India, China and Turkey, with China as the primary target. Iran is just an excuse.”
Negotiation between Iran and the US, which was scheduled to take place in Europe on Saturday, had been postponed, in the midst of Washington conflict between America Firsters and Neocons-for-Bibi, and the replacement of National Security Adviser, love-all-wars Mike Waltz, by Marco Rubio.
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi has said that any deal must guarantee an end to sanctions imposed on Iran even as Trump threatens more sanctions against Russia which he must now know will not change the situation in US favor but, rather, the reverse.
China, Johnson poins out, is the dominant importer of Iranian oil and petrochemical products, accounting for approximately 90% of Iran's crude oil exports. Despite international sanctions, Iran's oil exports reached around 1.5 million barrels per day in the first eight months of 2024, with China importing the bulk of this volume.
Johnson continues:
“Iran employs a "ghost fleet" of over 400 tankers to circumvent sanctions, utilizing tactics like ship-to-ship transfers and falsified documentation to deliver oil to Chinese ports. These shipments are often rebranded as originating from other countries and sold to independent Chinese refineries known as ‘teapots.’
“In addition to oil, Iran's petrochemical exports have grown, with China receiving over 80% of methanol and monoethylene glycol (MEG) exports, and about two-thirds of polyethylene shipments .
“Other countries importing Iranian oil and petrochemicals include:
United Arab Emirates (UAE): Serves as a trading hub, facilitating re-exports of Iranian products.
Syria and Venezuela: Receive Iranian oil and petrochemicals, often through barter arrangements or political alliances .EIA
Turkey, Iraq, and India: Engage in limited trade with Iran, though volumes are significantly lower than China's.
“If Trump makes good on his threat to add sanctions to those countries that buy Iranian oil and petrochemicals, he is only going to exacerbate the already dismal relations with China. While Trump may hope that the economic pain from the US sanctions will compel Xi Jinping to alter Chinese trade policy and kow tow to Washington, his actions are viewed in China -- not just by the leaders, but by the average Chinese man and woman in the street -- as an act of war. Given China's long history of being bullied and punished by Westerners, this is not going to sit well with the Chinese populace.”